Honduras football rioting: Three killed ahead of Tegucigalpa derby

Honduras football rioting: Three killed ahead of Tegucigalpa derby

Written by Lethonkie Fernando

18 Aug, 2019 | 5:50 pm

Written by Lethonkie Fernando
18 Aug, 2019 | 5:50 pm

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Three people have been killed and about 10 injured in rioting between fans of rival football clubs in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. The violence broke out ahead of a planned game between the Motagua and Olimpia clubs on Saturday evening.

It began when crowds threw stones at the Motagua team bus, injuring three players with shards of broken glass. Fighting continued both inside and outside National Stadium after officials canceled the game.

“Three people died and seven were shot and stabbed. One of them is a boy. Three of the injured adults are in critical condition,” local hospital spokeswoman Laura Schoenherr told Reuters news agency.

More than 10,000 people were already in the stadium when the trouble erupted. Many were caught in a stampede as police used tear gas to tackle the rioters. The Motagua club tweeted pictures of the damage inside the bus after the attack, and of the wounded players being treated in hospital. Those pictured were named as Emilio Izaguirre, Roberto Moreira, and Jonathan Rougier.

Former Celtic player Izaguirre, a Honduran national, recently joined Motagua on a one-year deal. The club blamed members of the Ultra-Faithful Olimpia fan club, saying: “This has to be severely sanctioned by the authorities.”